If Things Had Gone Differently
by JOLIVE
Summary: "What do you think would happen if we just bunged all our favourite Harry Potter characters into a house along with the Golden Trio, and let things run wild? And then add in some Dramione, or Hermionaise, cause we like that stuff." - - - - - - - I'm not sure if you've ever asked this question, but here's one answer.
1. A Very Short Prologue

**Disclaimer- Okay, Rowling ****_wishes_**** she was me. Except she doesn't, and I don't own HP. Oops. **

**N/A- This is my first story, so please go easy on me. I came up with this idea from something my friend, Moz, said to me. She said: "What do you think would happen if we just bunged all our favourite HP characters into a house along with the Golden Trio, and let things run wild. And then add in some Dramione, or Hermionaise, cause we like that stuff." **

**So... here's my answer :) This is only A VERY SHORT PROLOGUE, I'm afraid, those looking for a story that has immediate romance and adventure. I still have no idea how I'll fit Dramione or Hermionaise or... romance at all, really, into this predicament, but I'll probably find a way. (MEANING- REVIEW SOME IDEAS!) For the next few chapters I was just focusing on what they'd all grow up (or not so grow up, in Ginny and Draco's case) to be like.**

**Enjoy x**

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**A Very Short Prologue: **

The ministry notice rang clear on every source of wizarding media they could find.

"_The__** Safe House Laws**__ are a precaution put into place by the ministry, now that He Who Must Not Be Named has been removed from power, to preserve wizard kind in case of emergency. Every witch or wizard must to live in a designated, ministry approved safe-house, and everyone who owns an approved and appropriately facilitated 'safe-house' is required to fill it to maximum capacity. This is both to bring unity back to witches and wizards, and ensure that every British witch or wizard is in a safe-house. Each safe-house must to have certain charms around it, put in place by ministry officials and kept working by the residents of each house. Each house will go under inspection once every five years, to ensure that the charms are working and the house is being used at __**maximum **__capacity."_

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**(TOLD YOU IT WAS SHORT) **

**Don't worry, they get much longer, but the Fanfiction guideline thingy said to update them all in different chapters, so I'm going to ;)**

**TBH I wouldn't bother reviewing if I were you. It's just too short, right? The next two have been updated at the same time as this one, so just read on. Until next time...**

**~JOLIVE**


	2. Enter Malfoy

**N/A - Sorry it's so short- I promise they'll get longer!**

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**Enter Malfoy**

"I can't stay here, in this Weasley dump! I just can't!" Draco shouted, the current residence of the Burrow -par Luna, who was on an armchair by the fire- standing in the living room, agitated.

"We don't like you being here any more than you do, Malfoy!" Ron spat, grimacing at the number of bags and suitcases stood in the doorway behind Zabini.

"Why wasn't my complaint seen to?!" He had cried. "I am a Malfoy! I should get what I want!"

"Enter Malfoy. Good Lord. Do you always have to be so dramatic?" Harry asked, exasperated. He sighed when Malfoy only shot him a look of confusion.

"You're acting like a spoilt brat, Ferret. You saw to it that the Malfoy household was ruined when you fraternised with Riddle, your name means nothing now." Hermione sneered, looking down her nose at the Slytherin boys.

"Don't talk to me, you filthy little mu-" Ron, Harry, George and Ginny opened their mouths to defend Hermione, but looked across the room in shock as Blaise beat them to it, cutting off Draco and earning himself new respect. None of them had really spoken to Zabini that much at Hogwarts, so they weren't too sure whether he was the typical, egotistical, evil Slytherin type they had come to know so well. But they wouldn't give him benefit of the doubt just yet. After all, Slytherins are known for their cunning.

"Shut up, Draco. Unless you want to stay with muggles, every other wizarding place is full." Malfoy's face had drained what little colour it had left from the argument, and he sneered at the Weasleys before hoisting a huge black bag over his shoulder.

"Fine." he had grunted. Luna had looked up to the conversation at that point, examining the faces of each participant carefully before wiping a long blonde curl from her face.

"Well you've only got six years to wait. That's when Molly and Arthur are plan on leaving Romania." she had smiled at the group of twenty-four year olds and a twenty-three year old Ginny. Molly had always liked Luna. Draco had grunted again, demanding to know where his room was and who would cook, while Blaise followed him tiredly, magically lifting up all of the bags with a spell.

"This is going to be a long six years." he had sighed as he glided past the Weasleys and Potter, up the stairs. "A very long six years indeed."

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**N/A - I would just like to mention ****_Moz Ivashkov's _****name, because (although her surname is unfortunately not Ivashkov in real life, as VA readers will already know *sob*) because she mentioned me in hers (I'm the aforementioned Jonzie, although that username was already taken *double sob*). Her current fic is called ****_Letters, _****and I recommend it not just because we're mates, but because it's genuinely good.**

**Read and review- I would really appreciate ANY ideas you may have!**

**~Jolive**


	3. Not Much Has Changed

**A Very Long Six Years Indeed**

"Get off my Pygmy Puff, you _bastard_! I've had that since Hogwarts!" Ginny screamed at Malfoy, who tossed her the pink ball of seemingly alive fluff lightly, trademark smirk plastered onto his ivory features. She glared.

"You'd assume age would make you more mature." she sneered.

"Yeah, sure. Maybe in about twenty-five years." He'd grinned cockily. Ginny was not amused.

"I don't even think you'll make it to fifty at this rate, Ferret." Ginny said silkily, smiling oh-so-sweetly as she pointed her wand at his chest. His smirk didn't falter.

"You wouldn't. You're too Gryffindor, too _honourable._" he laughed. Ginny glared, tilting her wand slightly so it was pointing to his crotch. Any colour left in Malfoy's iridescently pale face drained, leaving a look of pure horror.

"You're quite sure about that, are you, Malfoy?"

"Calm down, everybody," Luna called from the top stairs of the Burrow, dreamily. "The_ nargles_ will hear you. Shhhh." she brought a finger up to her lips as she made shushing noises, before smiling softly and padding back to her room, slippers shuffling on the carpeted floor. Harry traipsed out of his bedroom, too, rubbing his eyes beneath his glasses wearily.

"Malfoy, stop making her shout. I just endured a forty eight hour shift because of another one of Blaise's ministry pranks, which they thought was bloody _dark magic!_ I want some sleep!" Malfoy grinned as Blaise walked up the stairs, attempting innocence as he split through the angry Gryffindors.

"Your fault. Your bloody fault." Harry murmured sleepily, pointing at Blaise, before turning to go back into his room. Hermione walked past, scribbling down some sort of ministry paper, barely glancing up as she walked straight into Draco. She fell a few steps back.

"Oh. Sorry, Ferret." she didn't look up. "And Harry, don't say 'bloody' so much. It makes you sound too much like Ronald." she still didn't look away from her work at any of the four people gathered on the landing as she scolded.

"Hey! What's wrong with sounding like me?" Ron shouted from the kitchen downstairs, where he had been animatedly chatting with George about the latest edition to the shop.

"If you're going to earwig, at least earwig _well_, Weasley!" Malfoy screeched down, causing a still tired Harry to slump even further, leaning against the banister on the stairs.

"What _time_ is it?!" he exclaimed, exasperated. Blaise looked at his watch, which was expensive silver. His eyes widened as he realized that he was late.

"Time for _me_ to get back to the ministry. See you all when the Department of Mysteries is destroyed, or they finally let me go home." Blaise sighed loudly with mock sadness, before apparating to the workers entrance of the ministry with a 'pop!'

"Been there, done that." Harry mumbled, remembering fifth year. Unfortunately, the thought of it only made him wearier. "Now could you please keep it down. I realize, Hermione, that the bookshop needs a lot of paperwork done before it can open, and all your dreams can be fulfilled. I understand completely, Malfoy, that this is probably the only weekend you'll have off for quite a while, because of the Healer shortages of late. And Ginny, I'm sorry that he took your pygmy puff, but you've got it back now, so you can go practise with the team or whatever you quidditch champions do when the season's just started." This earnt him a small smile from Ginny before he continued his rant. "But I have had no sleep for two days. _Two. _Days. Two, extremely, boringly, atrociously long d-" Malfoy snorted loudly.

"Spit it out, Potter." he smirked. Harry gritted his teeth.

"Please. Keep. Down. The. Noise." And with that, Harry traipsed back into his room with a slam of his door. Ginny looked up to see that Luna had been watching the entire conversation unfold, smiling.

"How did I ever end up in a huge house with the Golden Trio and two Slytherins?" she asked to no one in particular, the usual high-pitched lilt ever present in her voice as she spoke as if in a dream. Ginny shook her head, smiling at Luna's perfect commentary. Made a change from when she had been commentating quidditch at Hogwarts.

"Something to do with a mixture of the ever present safe-house laws, and my mother and father moving to Romania." she sighed, shaking her head. She could remember the night Draco and Blaise had arrived turned their world on it's belly _perfectly._ She was even getting fond of them. Ugh. "And not much has changed at all. At least now there's only a _very _convenient five years to go." she muttered sarcastically, traipsing back into her own room with one final '_SLAM_'.

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**Read and Review! *needs ideas***

**~JOLIVE**

**x**


	4. Quidditch - with a side of snow

**Hello again, sorry to have kept you waiting for this chapter. Any help with the storyline will be gratefully accepted. Sorry about any spelling mistakes, and sorry if you feel nothing much has happened- I'm working on it, really. **

**Enjoy!**

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**Quidditch... with a side of snow**

"Reading? At a quidditch match? It's like you don't even_ try_ to enjoy it, Granger!" Draco yelled over the roaring crowd. The rain was just beginning to smear the cold winter sky, and the frozen minus-nine temperature had even the Brits in their mittens. Draco only felt sorry for the Texan team here to play against the all-witch Holyhead Harpies- they only usually trained in hot, dry conditions; where they lived. Hermione smiled up at him.

"In my defense, it's going to be pretty boring. We all know that the Harpies will beat this American team. Did you know that we, Europeans, have been conquering the international quidditch pitch for over three centuries? England, Scotland, Bulgaria, Hungary, et cetera? I like to think that Madam Hooch was behind some of it, you see-" she was cut off by Malfoy's laughter.

"I surrender, Granger, I'll stop trying to make you enjoy yourself. Just don't give me a lesson on school-patriotism!" he laughed. Hermione rolled her eyes at him, going back to the aforementioned book. "And _everyone _knows that we Brits are the best at quidditch. It's a well documented fact that only British citizens can get into Hogwarts, and therefore make Slytherin house. And only a Slytherin can make a true quidditch player." Malfoy's chest puffed up as he proudly proclaimed the last sentence, reminding Hermione of a bird. She snorted before doubling over in laughter. Draco's face fell.

"What?!" he exclaimed. Hermione tried to breath between helpless laughter.

"'_Only Slytherin's can make good quidditch players, muhmuhmuh_!'" Hermione imitated Draco's voice badly, only making herself laugh more.

"Care to let me in on the joke, Granger? You seem to find it quite hilarious." Hermione stopped laughing, though she was still grinning, at his cold, threatening tone. She flung him the book now on her lap.

"There. In the back. Every player who's ever won the Quidditch World Cup and a short description. Read how many are in Slytherin. Go on, I dare you!" She watched as Draco caught the book, looking at the front cover with a grimace set in his features. The book had a tarnished yellow cover, on which: '_Quidditch for Muggles' _was emblazoned in gold. He flipped the book open to a random page, fiddling with the worn, browned pages with a scowl plastered onto his iridescently pale face as he scanned an extract.

"Granger, this is absolute poppycock! I refuse to let you read such a thing! For Christ's sake, you're not a _muggle!"_ the blonde man exclaimed, tucking the apparently disgusting book into the inside pocket of his thick coat. He adjusted his scarf and refocused on the match ahead of him as Hermione gaped up at him in shock. "What?!" he exclaimed finally. Hermione shook her head, as if dazed.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. You've miraculously changed since last year, I might add, however." Draco's confused reply was cut off by a frantic Ronald.

"YES! GET IN THERE! COME ON HARPIES! BRITAIN! GO ON GINNY!" he shouted, practically falling over the wooden rails that separated fans from... falling. The commentator's voice boomed round the wooden stands.

"_An absolutely fantastic shot from Ginevra Weasley, backed up by Gwenog Jones, captain of the team! This leaves Holyhead Harpies winning 390 to 150. Not bad, considering the weather. Let's hope that the snitch becomes visible soon, or else we'll be out here when the weather hits minus double figures. It would also be fairly inconvenient for a two day match due to the storm predicted tomorrow morning- wouldn't want to snap any broomsticks. Oh and another glorious save fr-"_

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"So... Was I good, or what?!" Ginny exclaimed, now changed out of her uniform as the group walked through muggle London. Blaise laughed.

"Good? You were amazing! I thought you were going to miss that last shot but..." He mimed throwing the quaffle into the hoop. "Whoosh." he breathed, before turning back to his friends with a grin on his face. Harry laughed, putting a wool-coated arm around the redhead.

"It was a great game. Well, for us. Maybe less for the other team..." he trailed off, grinning to Ginny who had turned as red as her hair.

"You would've made a good Slytherin, Weaslette. Pureblood, and gave an entire quidditch team a mouthful-o'-snow." Draco said, making Ginny sink into her scarf even more. Hermione laughed.

"More like a fistful of Weasley!"

"Yeah, that's hardly Slytherin!"

"Yeah, but-" Draco's defense was cut off by Hermione.

"'_All the great quidditch players are from Slytherin'" _she spluttered. Draco rolled his eyes, muttering something.

"What was that, Ferret?" asked Ginny, lifting up a fluffy earmuff as if to hear him better. No one noticed Ron duck behind the _Victoria Memorial_ statue they were passing as they walked through the square outside Buckingham Palace.

"Nothing." Malfoy muttered, a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance at being defeated clearly shown in his expression.

_**THUMP!**_

Something hit Draco on the side of his head, white and cold- so cold it made his ears sting. When he opened his eyes from the blast, he saw that the rest of his party were holding back laughter badly, and had all taken a step back from him. Draco felt the side of his face, watching the grinning Weasel holding up another white ball of snow in his gloved hand, ready to fire. Hermione, Blaise and Harry were looking to him for a next move with a mixture of anticipation and fear, while Weaselette was already preparing lumps of snow and handing them to her brother excitedly, Luna perched on the statue, staring into space.

"FIRE!" he screamed, grinning, scooping up as much snow as he could and throwing it into the direction of anywhere. After only five minutes and a bit of discreet magic, the band of wizards and witches had caught the attention of what felt like the entire city of London, who were of course throwing as much snow as the magical folk. Every man was for himself, and eventually the rabble died down, though not without a few snowmen and a large platter of slushy footsteps marring what had been a clear, untouched horizon of white snow just a few minutes ago. Ron walked forward and patted Harry and Blaise on the back at the same time, walking between them as if brothers. Blaise smiled, feeling finally accepted somewhere. It was a good feeling, a feeling like something had changed since the war, and although it was not where he had expected- the Golden Trio were hardly one of the Dark Lord's favourite people - Blaise was glad that he didn't feel like he was going to be betrayed by the new bond of friendship, or that he had the obligation to betray _them_. It was a good feeling. It was a _great _feeling.

"Does anyone want to go and get some ice-cream?" A snow-plastered Luna asked the friends around her, pulling off her Ravenclaw-blue hat and shaking off all the snow. Harry laughed.

"Luna, it's about minus twelve degrees out here!" he exclaimed. Luna shrugged.

"Just a thought, is all." Draco glowered at the group.

"Just because you poncy Gryffindors think you know right and wrong, does not mean that you can tell me ice-cream is not good in the snow. I'm going to get ice-cream." he stated defiantly. Blaise laughed.

"Always trying to rebel, aren't you?" he chuckled. "I'll go, too."

"Ice-cream works for me."

"Mmm, me too."

"Only if I can have something hot first. Quidditch really builds up an appetite."

"All right, all right! Calm down!" Harry sighed and shook his head. "I've got nothing against ice-cream."

"Good, Potter." Draco said snootily. "Because otherwise I might have to beat you in a snowball fight again!"

"No way did you beat us!"

"Us? Everyone was for themselves!"

"Sure, Ferret. It wasn't everyone against you or anything."

"I like ice-cream."

"I won!"

"Sure. Remember that time I punched you in the face? I bet you think you won, there, too, didn't you?"

"Punched in the face?"

"Hermione punched Draco in the face, in third year! IT was totally awesome!"

"Wish I could've seen _that!_"

"Oh don't worry, we have a pensive."

"WHAT?!"

"No way!?"

"You punched him? Like, right hook that made his nose bleed?!"

"...Sort of..."

"OHMYGOSHTELLMEEVERYTHING!"

And with that, the group of house-mates walked into the snow-coated silhouette that was muggle London. And... nobody cared that some were pureblood and some were not. Things were finally going differently.

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**Read and Review! Anything you want to add to the storyline will be immediately accepted (There _is _no storyline) and I'd appreciate any help on the Dramione part, too :)**

**Read and Review! xxx**

**~JOLIVE x **


	5. Cheaters?

**Cheaters?**

"_ARRRGGGHHHH!_" Hermione's rage-filled scream filled the burrow, all the way up to Luna's room in the attic.

Draco rubbed his eyes and pulled himself out of bed sleepily as soon as he heard Granger's howl. Smirking, he shoved his feet into a pair of fluffy slippers he'd hijacked from Weasley Senior's chest of belongings that lay across from his bed, and walked out to the stairs. It wasn't often that someone could make Hermione as angry as she sounded right then- and he was _not _going to miss it. He clambered down the stairs alongside a curious Weaselette to see that they were the last few occupants of the house not already seated in the cosy living room, all witnessing the outburst. The two late arrivers both sunk into a worn, faded-red sofa on either side of Harry, Ginny leaning against the aforementioned Potter's shoulder.

"What's up with Granger?" Draco hissed his question to the earless-twin, edging to the very furthest point from the lovey-dovey couple on the seat. He was beginning to feel like an extremely awkward little third-wheel when he realized that he was the only one on the long sofa with them.

"Dunno," George whispered back. "No one does. But sure will it be funny when we do!" he brought a camera from the side of his armchair, grinning. Draco's eyes widened, grinning just as broadly at the idea of catching Granger's outburst on moving film, for all to see. That'd get him through any rainy day.

"Ingenious," he breathed, and George inclined his head slightly, giving Draco a small salute with his index and middle fingers.

"Wouldn't expect any less of me, would you?" Draco couldn't fault him there, turning his attention to the younger Weasley, who had just plopped himself down between the Weaselette and Potty. He raised one blond eyebrow. He had been wrong- _he _wasn't the extremely awkward little third-wheel. The ginger boy sat exactly one Chosen One away from him was.

Just as he was thinking that, both Harry and Ginny wearing similarly disgruntled looks, Blaise decided to stand up, patting Luna's shoulder as he went into the kitchen- the place which Hermione had stormed off to in order to finish her angry rant. A few seconds later she graced them with her presence, still ranting noisily as she stomped, being trailed by a helpless-looking Blaise.

"What happened, Hermione?" Ron asked, and all attention settled on Hermione. The room was silent for the first few seconds that morning, before she slapped the latest _Daily Prophet _down onto the chipped coffee table to which the rest of the furniture was congregated. Everybody in the room leaned forwards in their seats, eyes peering to see the front cover of the magical newspaper. Hermione began ranting again, pacing around the room.

_"HE BLOODY CHEATED ON ME, THAT'S WHAT!"_ she screeched, and George snapped a photo of her snarling face, quickly, before she stomped to the window, rifling through the herd of picture-frames clustered there.

_"AND I HAD TO FIND OUT THROUGH THE BLOODY PROPHET!"_ Hermione shouted the next sentence of her rant. At this exclamation, Blaise snatched up the paper and began reading aloud. Cheaters? He'd always loved some good gossip.

**"THAPHNE FEVER SWEEPS THE NATION!"**

Blaise raised his eyebrows at the title, but read it anyway. Confusion was painted on the faces of most in the room, who had been previously eager.

"Thaphne? Who the hell is Thaphne?" Ron spluttered. "What a stupid name!" he laughed, before catching the look on Hermione's face and shutting up. Harry coughed.

"Hermione, who in Merlin's name is _Thaphne, _and why are they cheating on you?" Hermione growled as she seemingly found the photo she wanted, not answering Harry's question. Ginny snatched the paper from Blaise's hands as he looked to the raging Hermione for answers.

"Oh shut up, you idiots! Just keep reading!" she cleared her throat, preparing to recite the passage in front of her, before she looked at the picture next to the article. Her eyes widened in shock and she glanced back at Hermione once more.

The picture was a moving shot of two people Ginny recognised from back in school. Two _Slytherin _people, she might add, who had been in the year above her, along with Harry, Ron and Hermione, etc. On the cover of the Daily Prophet, were Theodore Nott and Daphne Greengrass, kissing at some party, most likely in wizarding London.

"Hermione, are you..." she hesitated for a second, glancing back at Ron and Harry, who'd been protective of Hermione all her life. "Are you dating Theodore Nott?" she asked. Hermione turned around with the picture, walking over to the group and throwing it on the floor. It was a close up of her and the aforementioned 'Theo', laughing together, and Ginny wondered how she hadn't noticed it being there before- maybe she wasn't as good a friend as she had previously assumed.

"_NOT ANYMORE!" _she shouted. Thank Merlin she was wearing shoes, as she then crushed the glass with her heel, before picking up the photo and tearing it into little shreds that scattered to her feet. "Not anymore." she breathed again, as if trying to reassure herself of the fact. As she calmed down, everyone's attention then turned to a red-faced Draco stood behind them, fuming as his eyes scanned the paper. There was a knock at their door, which Harry went to answer, still confused at Malfoy's anger, which he was speaking to no-one about. Outside the burrow, he saw, was none other than a soaking wet -most likely from all the snow outside; there had been yet another blizzard the night before-, blubbering Daphne Greengrass, her makeup smudged, warbling cries being emitted from her mouth -the speech was mostly incoherent, but Harry picked up a few words that sounded like: "_Draco_," and "_Sorry_,". Harry raised his eyebrows, leaning back inside to the group, who were all on the edges of their seats.

"Uh, Draco?" he asked, peering back to the blubbering mess of a witch in front of him. George snapped another picture, which drew glares to him on all angles. He set the camera down on the table quickly.

"What?" Draco's voice was stone cold and he was still clutching that wretched newspaper.

"Um, are you going out with Daphne Greengrass?" he asked. Draco launched the paper into the fire, watching the image of his _ex-_girlfriend sucking face with Theodore Nott, his childhood friend, melt in the flames. Theo had been in his _house_. Theo had met his family, shagged his friend. Heck! Back in fourth year, Draco'd helped Theo bag a date with Millicent Bulstrode, and bought him his first suit- the commoner! And _this _was how he was repaid for bringing up his social status, for carrying him on a friendly whim to the top of the Hogwarts food chain? Not to mention Greengrass! The slut- he'd trusted her, poured his heart out. Been a '_normal boyfriend_' just because it had been what she wanted. He hadn't even told Blaise about their relationship because she wanted to hide it from her father, who disliked the Malfoy family as a whole. Draco had thought it was a kind of romantic, _Romeo and Juliet_ kind of thing. Kind of sucked that he was closer to bloody _Rosaline_ right now to anyone else in that Merlin forsaken muggle play. The one who was dropped as soon as somebody else came along. He only knew about it because Hermione had lectured him on it, as she did with most things, explaining about fickle attitudes towards women and whatnot. At least Rosaline had rejected Romeo and gone to join a convent instead of being cheated on. Merlin, she-

Draco put a quick halt in his mental rant. He had to do, now, not think. Gowling, he yanked the diamond necklace he had been planning to give Daphne for her upcoming birthday from it's safe hiding place; in a glass box beneath a floorboard of the Weasley's abode. His eyes narrowed when he saw Daphne through the burrow's front window, and he hurled the box through the glass with a pain-filled howl, hearing it break with a conclusive _'smash!'. _

"_NOT ANYMORE!_" he growled, and Harry raised his eyebrows at his former arch nemesis.

"Okay then..." he realised that he was still holding the door open for a sobbing Daphne Greengrass, who had been watching Draco during his tantrum, cries getting louder and louder as she blubbered. "Er, sorry, Daphne... he's... um," Harry coughed awkwardly. "He's not... home?" Harry tried the feeble excuse, which was not helped by Draco as he blatantly stood in Daphne's line of sight. Smiling stiffly, he let the door shut in her face. Draco was pacing, anger and hurt in his eyes, while Hermione had resorted to sitting on the sofa, saying nothing as tears rolled slowly down her cheeks.

Harry was slightly surprised at Draco's expression- he had always assumed that Draco was one of those player-ish type guys, the exaggerated cliches who don't care about the many women they take advantage of. He now regretted the quick judgement, as Malfoy really seemed hurt by this betrayal of trust. After all, he'd never brought a girl back to the house- Harry had previously guessed it was just because he and Blaise shared a room, but now he guessed that the heartless Slytherin Prince really _did_ have feelings. Real ones.

"He's not worth your tears, Hermione." Ron soothed, rubbing the brunette's shoulders consolingly. The glare he received from this remark caused him to let stop and take a step back, and she stormed up the stairs, tangled curls swishing as she left tearfully. The rest of her housemates watched her back as she left, unsure of what to do. Ron stood up to follow her, but Ginny stopped him, pushing him back down.

"_You _can't exactly help her now, bro," she said, raising an eyebrow at his typical obnoxious-brother-ness. Boys are so stupid sometimes, she thought, as by the look on his face he clearly didn't get it. "You'll only remind her of another failed relationship she was a part of! How would _you_ feel if your second boyfriend ever-well, third if you count Krum- was caught cheating, and you felt so stupid for trusting him and depressed that you weren't enough woman for him or whatever crap Hermione's head is making up to bring down her self-esteem right now? And then, on top of it all, your first -unless we're counting Krum- failure of a boyfriend is there comforting you?" Ginny shook her head, sighing. "She'll either end up falling for you again, or decide that all boys are jerks and choose the spinster life. I've got nothing against either option, but let's make it easier for her to choose what she actually wants, shall we?" Ginny pushed a gobsmacked older brother back into his seat, and span around when she saw a flash of blond hair heading for the staircase. Draco matched her glare, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm the only one who can relate to her right now, Weaselette, and her me. Even you've got to admit that." he said. Ginny narrowed her eyes.

"If you make her cry, then I'll shove that smirk of yours where the sun don't shine. Understood?" It was Draco's turn to roll his eyes.

"Sure, sure." he nodded as he walked backwards up the spiralling stairs. "No crying. Blah, blah, smirk, sun, shoving. Got it." he turned into Hermione's room. "Don't wait up."

As Draco turned into the room he realised that he had no idea what he was going to say. Seeing Hermione's crouched form, her back to him as she shook with sobs, all of his... smirk-iness was gone, and he realised just how much his friend had hurt Granger. Hermione.

"I told her I loved her, you know." he said quietly from the doorway, unsure of why he had shared the information. He guessed that at least they were both as vulnerable as each other, now. She turned around, sniffling under a curtain of untamed curls.

"What?"

"I told her that I loved her, and she couldn't say it back. And then she cheated, because she couldn't cope with the commitment." he spoke his mind and went to sit next to Granger on her bed.

"Really? But I thought you were one of those... y'know..."

"Players?"

"No, I was going to say heartless arsehole."

"Oh."

"I mean, you were the Slytherin Sex God. Right?" Draco laughed.

"I've only ever _been _with Four people, if you know what I mean." he laughed. "I spread half of those rumors myself, because I didn't want people to know how head over heels I was with Pansy. Played it 'cool'. We got together for two years after the war- somehow she managed to love the arrogant prick inside of me. Before she started working with Neville Longbottom, that is." His face darkened, and Hermione laughed.

"Neville? You're jealous of _Neville?"_ Draco continued to glower.

"Tall, dark and handsome; a true war hero fighting on the side of light. Apparently charming."

"What happened?" Hermione asked, eyes filled with genuine concern.

"I started getting jealous and overprotective of Pansy because she kept coming home and talking about Longbottom. She certainly had the hots for him, but nothing was going on. We broke up and promised to stay friends; neither of us saw a future, and we were both still young. Then I had a sort of rebound affair with Susan Bones, and dated Padma Patil for a year until she dumped me for none other than Oliver Wood. I was with Cho Chang, actually, until I started living here. She said that she didn't want things to go too far and then me end up dumping her for Ginny or you like Potter did, or something along those lines." Draco breathed a long sigh. "At least I know why she cheated. I need to find someone that can say I love you back, anyway. So in a certain light, what happened is a good thing." Hermione's lip trembled and her eyes welled up with yet more tears.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Draco asked. Hermione looked down, apparently embarrassed.

"I-I... He said that he loved me. And I froze. I couldn't say anything. I loved him too, I did! And I didn't say anything, I just looked down and remembered the day Ron said the same thing to me, and even though I said it back, it was that very same day that the whole thing went up in flames. And when I didn't say anything for a few seconds, he got all huffy and stormed off, and then..." she gestured downstairs, where Draco assumed she'd seen the Prophet. "Thaphne Fever?" she laughed bitterly. "It's the first time Skeeter's come close to a war-hero celebrity relationship since Seamus and Lavender's early marriage. If one kiss means that 'Thaphne' get a couple-name then I wonder what would've happened if either of_ us_ had announced the relationships in public, Draco? We're annoyingly famous! Y'know, Golden and Silver Trios? I got interviewed the other day on my current work in the ministry. The most boring job in the world, one which I'll finally be able to quit in a few weeks in order to open a new bookshop on Diagon Alley, and I got interviewed on it." she looked up at me sheepishly. "I'm ranting, aren't I?" she cringed, throwing herself back on the bed so she was lying down. I laughed, shrugging my shoulders.

"If relaying your thoughts in annoyingly fast speech is how you get out your anger, who am I to stop you? Let's have a nice long bitching session." he leaned back so that we were next to each other, looking up to the ceiling. She lightly thwacked him on the chest.

"Shut up." he laughed.

"I was serious. Tell me the whole story, from start to finish. What you hated about him, what you loved. Tell me why you're not going to forgive him." he sounded truly interested.

"Okay. But you go next." Hermione warned, wiping a few curls from her eyes. She sighed loudly in the quiet room. Who knew? Draco Malfoy, great listener.

"One day, a few months ago, he just sat with me at lunch in the ministry. For no reason at all. It had been a seat I was saving for Blaise, but he'd had an extra raid that meant he would have to skip lunch, and Harry's auror training meant that he had to eat it in the... well, wherever it is they actually do their training. And I was sort of surprised that he'd sat with me, but glad at the same time. No one likes being stuck with Umbridge." she shuddered at the name, making Malfoy smirk appropriately. He remembered the days of Dolores Umbridge back at Hogwarts- he'd been in her elite club, or something like that. Seemed a bit petty, now, but he'd been so proud to finally get one up on Potter- finally _he _was the perfect student, and Potter & co. were the ones being constantly looked down on, what with their rebel society practising DADA. When he'd heard about Dumbledore's so-called Army, he'd snorted derisively. Going behind the rules... _to study_. Such a Granger thing to do. Hermione continued talking.

"Then he kept dropping by my office, carrying my stuff on the way in, finding what seemed like every spare moment to appear and see me." Draco snorted.

"Stalker." Hermione elbowed him.

"_Anyway, _moving on, Draco. Uh, well, he asked me out one day. And I said yes."

"What a boring bitch-fest, Granger." Draco drawled the words out as long as he could, grinning as she crossed her arms defensively. Perfect reaction- now they'd hopefully get to the juicy stuff.

"I'm getting there, Ferret." Draco put a hand on his heart in mock hurt.

"I'm hurt, Granger. We've gone from Draco to Ferret in one sentence! They're a whole Malfoy apart!"

"You don't call me Hermione."

"You don't ask me to."

"I think I do."

"I think you don't."

"I think I do."

"I think you do."

"I think I don't."

"See, Granger, even you're agreeing with me! All is right with the world again!" Hermione's eyes widened as she realized that she'd been tricked with simple wordplay.

"I must really be heartbroken." she muttered as she rubbed her forehead. "Malfoy is wittier than me right now."

"Again I'm hurt, Granger."

"Call me Hermione, not Granger."

"If you stop calling me Malfoy."

"Sure. _Ferret_."

"I have to admit that I walked right into that one."

"And all is right with the world again."

"Aw, so flattering that your whole world revolves around me, Herms."

"Herms? No. Not Herms. Hermione."

"How about Mione?"

"Have you ever, _ever _heard Harry or Ron, or Ginny or _anyone_, ever call me 'Mione'? The number of people who try and shove that nickname onto me. Ugh. No."

"How about... Wormy. Like: Bookworm?"

"I'm not sure whether that's a feeble attempt at flattery, or whether I ought to hex you into oblivion."

"Right. Okay." he bolted upright. "_OHMYMERLIN!_ I HAVE IT! THE PERFECT MATCH FOR FERRET! _BEAVER! _Do you remember when I hexed your teeth to grow? Well, that's your match for when Moody transfigured me into a ferret!"

"Technically, it wasn't Mad-Eye, it was Barty Crouch Junior."

"Right. Gotcha, Beaver."

"That's going to get pretty annoying, Ferret."

"Sorry, Beavs, it's stuck now." Hermione burst into laughter.

"You've nicknamed my nickname already. Ah, how wonderful." After her giggles died down, the pair looked at each other, tears in both their eyes. It was finally hitting them in this depressing silence.

"How are we going to get over this, Draco?" her voice broke at his name. He leaned in, their noses almost touching as they lay against Hermione's soft red bedsheets.

"Step one?" Draco smiled devilishly. "We get you a makeover!"

* * *

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**Lots of love,**

**~Jolive**

**x**


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